Walk in Warsaw: Royal Route
Wizytki Church / Bartosz Bobkowski / Agencja Gazeta
Wizytki Church
The church is officially called ?Under the Care of Saint Joseph chosen by Mary Immaculate Mother of God?, but more normally is known as the Visitationist Church. This is one of the oldest buildings in the Old Town and was almost untouched in the devastation of the second world war.
The history of the church coincides with the Visitationist Order coming to Poland. The Order of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commonly known as the Visitationist Order, was founded in Annecy, France in 1610 and was invited to Poland by Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga. Their trip from Paris to Gdańsk was not without adventure. Firstly, their ship was seriously delayed due to the weather and during the voyage was attacked by English pirates and then, instead of continuing on to Gdańsk, they returned to France. Eventually a group from Aachen arrived and were ceremoniously brought to the wooden convent buildings between the Kazimierzowski Palace and Karowa Street. Unfortunately, their bad luck continued because the convent was utterly destroyed during the Swedish deluge. Marie Louise Gonzaga ordered a new building but it never got opened as it was burnt down in 1695. The next church was designed by Efraim Szreger and Jakub Fontana and was finally completed without further mishap in 1761. About 100 years later the church was totally renovated under the direction of Henryk Marconi, giving it its present form.
Frederic Chopin practised on the organ in the Visitationist Church in 1825-26 and for many years it was also the base of the Academic Pastoral Ministry. From 1960 until his retirement Jan Twardowski, one of Poland's most famous poets, was rector of he church. The most interesting relics which can be found here include the tabernacle, which was presented to the Visitationist Order by Marie Louise Gonzaga. There is also a beautiful pulpit from 1760 designed by Jan Jerzy Plersch and 18th century side altars where you can admire a portrait of St Aloysius Gonzagi by Daniel Schultz the younger and the painting of Joseph with the Child by Claude Callot. You can also visit the convent buildings. Unfortunately, the most interesting parts, including the 1677 Calvary are inaccessible to guests.